I used to feel guilty because my kids don't have a lot of daily chores. Then I started making chore lists for the kids on Saturdays like my mom used to do.
Saturday chore lists are magical. Grace and Noah have fully embraced them, and I have learned (once again) that I need to find systems that work for me rather than copying what others do.
Of course there are things that need to be done more often than once a week. Making Saturday chore lists for my kids does not mean that they aren't helpful throughout the week, but the Saturdays we make an extra effort to get some things done.
The key to success with my Saturday chore lists … [Read more...]

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I am pretty honest about my struggles here. If you've been reading Simply Rebekah for even a short amount of time, you'll know that one of my biggest struggles is cleaning. I hate cleaning.
My personality type (ESFP) doesn't handle structure and routines very well. Instead, I love to live in the moment. Often I find myself neglecting cleaning tasks because of other bright and shiny fun that delightfully distracts me.
Because of that, I've come up with some tactics to help me overcome my hatred for cleaning.
The Just Clean Something Challenge has been an excellent kick-in-the-pants.
My … [Read more...]

Our house is over 160 years old. It has an "extra" stairway in the kitchen that we suspect was originally used by servants. Since we moved in, it has turned into a disaster zone! Thankfully, my mother came to my rescue and helped with an amazing stairway cleanup.
Are you ready to see the horrible before photos? *gulp* Here we go!
I know. I know. It really was bad. Let's take a closer look at what we had going on here.
My goal was to use this space for:
cloth grocery bags
plastic grocery bags
lunch bags
extra food that doesn't fit in cabinets
rarely used kitchen appliances
All of those things were on the … [Read more...]

My basement was a chaotic mess. There really is no other way to describe the disaster that was lurking below. Thankfully, my mother likes a challenge. We decided to tackle the basement when she visited last month.
Before & After Photos: Amazing Basement Cleanup
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my before and after photos. I expect all the appropriate "ooooh's" and "ahhhh's" to come flooding into the comments as you enjoy the glorious transformation.
This basement cleanup was accomplished through 3 tasks.
1. Remove all the trash.
Do you see all the cardboard boxes above? It is amazing how many empty boxes were tossed … [Read more...]

The most important step I have taken towards natural living was to simply replace the products I am already using on a regular basis with something safer and more natural. Yes, it is wonderful to add supplements to your diet or use essential oils, but the first thing you should do is make sure that your current routines are safe and natural before you start adding new things to your routine.
When I started my journey towards natural living, the first thing I did was buy the safest baby bath products that I could find. Then I concentrated on my cleaning products, and finally I moved on to my own bath products. I'm not making a perfect … [Read more...]

"NATE!!! Guess what! I just got an email from Sauder and they want to send us some furniture!!"
Yes, that was me freaking out a couple of months ago when Sauder Woodworking Co. contacted me about partnering with them on a sponsored post. Why the big freak out moment?
1) Sauder Woodworking Co. makes amazing furniture.
2) I used to work there!!!
It truly is a small world, folks. The person who contacted me had no idea that I had previously lived in Ohio and worked at Sauder Woodworking Co. for 3 summers when I was in college. She had no idea that my sister and aunt had also worked there. She didn't know that I grew up with Sauder … [Read more...]